


The Tale of the Queen

by beyourteenagewolftonight



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, i'm so sorry for this i really am
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-11-26 12:05:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/650334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyourteenagewolftonight/pseuds/beyourteenagewolftonight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Arthur is dead and the throne falls to Guinevere. She rules the land well. Merlin pops in and out of her life as the years pass, until she is dying. Set after 5x13.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Tale of the Queen

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic for the Merlin fandom, any mistakes are my own. I don't own these characters, obviously, because if I did then 5x13 wouldn't have happened like that. Enjoy! :)  
> ~KaitlynnEmrys

Guinevere knew from the moment that Percival and Leon came walking in that Arthur was gone. It was just something that she could feel, this tangible feeling of loss that made her very soul ache. As much as she wanted to break down, to scream that it wasn’t fair that the love of her life was taken from her, she knew that she couldn’t. Now, she had duties to fulfill, she had to be seen as a strong Queen in the wake of Arthur’s death; she could cry later.

She stayed laced together until that night, when she lay in the bed that they had shared for years, the bed that was now cold, lonely, and only served as the bringer of truth: her King was dead. And what about Merlin? Percival had mentioned finding him at the shore of the lake, but he had refused to come back with him. How could he just abandon Camelot, abandon _her_ at the time she needed him the most? She didn’t know how long she cried, but eventually she exhausted herself and fell asleep.

Over the weeks, she sent out knights to try and find Merlin; she felt that she was owed an explanation, but he was never found. Soon, her resources had to be put to actual use when Camelot’s borders were attacked. Feeling that Camelot would be defenseless without her King, an army came through the Western border, determined to crush the kingdom once and for all. Guinevere rose to the challenge, riding out into battle with her men even though she was inexperienced.

As she fought, she kept catching glimpses of someone winding their way through the crush of bodies. Flashes of unnatural light flickered around her, and enemy soldiers were falling around her. Time seemed to slow down when she caught sight of him: Merlin. But it wasn’t the Merlin she knew; no, this Merlin’s eyes glowed gold, and men dropped dead at his feet. Merlin, a sorcerer? Then, their eyes met; Merlin offered her a smile before jumping back into the fight. Camelot’s army won the fight, but Gwen knew that it wasn’t from their doing, but through Merlin.

Years passed, and she never saw Merlin again. Whenever she thought of him being a sorcerer, she realized that it made sense. So many things had been unexplained before Arthur died, but Arthur had always dismissed it as nothing. For all his good qualities, Arthur was always a bit gullible and entirely too trustworthy. However, Gwen decided it was time to let it go. She did the one thing she could do for Merlin: she lifted the ban on magic. When Leon questioned her judgment, she said, “If that ban had been lifted years ago, then Morgana wouldn’t have turned out the way she did. Someone would have been able to _help_ her Leon. But that never happened, and she turned into someone I couldn’t even recognize.” Leon stared at her, but his eyes said that he understood why she did what she did.

Thirty-five years passed with Guinevere ruling over Camelot. The land had been surprisingly peaceful after the magic ban was lifted; there were skirmishes here and there, but nothing on the scale of Morgana. Gwen was old and tired, but she still had duties to perform, so she carried on. As she returned to her chambers one night, she was startled by a shadow standing in front of the window. “Declare yourself!”, she said, her voice only shaking slightly as she stepped forward. The shadow turned and at once, all the candles were lit. Standing in front of her was an old man, with long white hair and a beard to match. When she continued to stare at him, he looked down at himself and made a displeased sound. Then, before her eyes, he began to change. The hair grew shorter and turned black, the beard disappeared and the wrinkles smoothed. “Merlin?!”, she exclaimed, rushing towards him. He smiled softly at her, allowing her to wrap him in a tight hug. “Merlin, it’s been _years_ since I saw you last. I had begun to think that you….hadn’t survived.”, Gwen said uncertainly, pulling him to sit at the table with her. “I’m…I’m immortal Gwen. I can’t die, no matter how much I’ve wanted to these past years.”, Merlin replied, sinking onto a chair and hiding his face in his hands. He told her of that fateful day, and how he had watched Arthur die in his arms. “Ever since Arthur died, I’ve been living by that damned lake, hoping that one day I would look out and see him rising again.” “Rising again….Merlin, what does that mean? He’s _dead_ , he can’t very well come back from that.”, Gwen stated, even as hope started to bloom in her heart. Would she really be able to see her beloved Arthur again? “There is a prophecy that the Great Dragon told me, that when Albion needed him most, Arthur would rise again. I believe that, and so should you.”, Merlin pushed out of his chair, pacing. Gwen grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop moving. “Do you think that will be soon? While we-….while I’m still alive?”, she asked softly. He stared down at her before shaking his head slowly. Her eyes closed, and when she opened them again, he could see the tears that threatened to spill over. “I wanted to see you, to tell you thank you for lifting the ban on magic. It’s made things….easier for me.”, Merlin said, “I should go.” He walked to the door. “Merlin, no! You can’t just come here and expect me to let you leave again! Stay here with me and the Knights, you can work here in the Castle, be an adviser to me.”, Gwen cried, rising to her feet. “Gwen….I can’t stay here. This isn’t where I’m supposed to be. I’ll return, but not for some time.” Before Gwen could say anything else, he was gone. Magicked himself right out of the castle, she supposed. The Queen broke down, refusing to believe that her once best friend had waltzed back into her life, turned it upside down, and left in the span of minutes.

Guinevere was dying. It had been fifteen years since Merlin had appeared in her chambers, and now, she was bound to leave this world. She was on her last journey, which was why she was out riding with Sir Leon, whom she had married and had a son with several years prior. She had tried to move on with her life, and Leon was a good man, one of Arthur’s most trusted Knights. They reached the lake that Merlin had told her about, and they dismounted with some difficulty on Gwen’s part. Cancer, the new physician had told her. The kind of illness you didn’t come back from, and she had days at the most, hours at the least. All they could do was wait, and Gwen was determined to see Merlin again before she passed. As if he had read her thoughts, he was suddenly standing there in front of them, tears apparent in his eyes. It was obvious that he could sense what was wrong with her, and at once she realized what pain she must be causing him. “Merlin….I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t be here. I didn’t….I didn’t think this through.”, she apologized, turned to leave. “No, don’t go.”, he said, stopping her and Leon in their tracks. “I should have stayed with you when you asked me to, all those years ago, and that decision has haunted me. Please, stay.” The speech was a little stilted, but Gwen knew he meant well. They sat by the lake, the trio, soaking in what time they had left. Merlin hugged her goodbye when nightfall passed, and she left knowing that there was peace between them.

The Queen passed during the night. Merlin knew it first, felt it in his bones, and he wept bitterly. Then, he noticed something out on the lake. His magic reached out, allowing him to see more clearly. It was Arthur out on the lake, dressed as he was the day that Merlin set the boat out into that cold, still water. Then, another form appeared: Guinevere, in all her glory, not the old shell that her spirit had left behind. She leaped into Arthur’s arms, and he laughed as he twirled her around, finally stopping to kiss her softly. Then, as if he knew that Merlin was watching, he turned and looked right at him. He pointed Merlin out to Gwen, and she smiled, nudging Arthur closer to the shore. “You’re not coming back yet are you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement that Merlin knew to be true. “No, not yet. Albion doesn’t need me. I wanted to greet my Queen.”, Arthur replied, smiling down at her, “I haven’t forgotten you though, know that one day I will be back, to finish carrying out our destiny.” “We have to go now Merlin, we can’t stay for very long.”, Gwen stated, “Just remember that we love you, and thank you for protecting Camelot….for protecting _us_ for all these years.” As they started to fade, Arthur turned and looked at Merlin again. “Oh, and Merlin?” When his attention was focused on Arthur, he continued. “Don’t waste your life away at this lake, waiting for me. Visit this place if you must, but I don’t want you to stay here. You have to live. If you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for me, your friend. I’ll return to you soon, I promise.”

They were gone, and they left a man on his knees at the shore, broken again after losing his two best friends. The future held something bright, for him, for Arthur, and for Albion, but for now, there was just one thing.

_Pain._

Merlin let sleep claim him, hearing a whisper in his mind as he did.

_“I’ll return to you soon, my friend.”_


End file.
